Self-moving cradle.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

P. ALROTH. SELF MOVING CRADLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6,1905.

FRIEDRICH ALROTH, OF PLAUEN-DRESDEN, GERMANY.

SELF-MOVING CRADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Lratented March 6, 1906.

Application filed August 5, 1905. Serial No. 272,898.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH ALRorn, a citizen of the Empire ofGermany, residing in Plauen-Dresden, in the Empire of Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Moving Cradles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The cradles at present in use, in which a rocking movement is impartedto the cradlebody, are in the opinion of medical authorities injuriousto the health of the child, having a particularly detrimental effectupon the brain. The well-known baby-baskets also have the defect thatwhen the infant needs to be quieted it has to be removed, it beingimpossible to produce a movement of the basket which will soothe thechild The object of the present invention is to obviate the above-nameddefects and to provide a self-moving cradle in which ahorizontally-reciprocating movement in either a longitudinal ortransverse direction is imparted to the cradle-body.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficientmechanism for automatically actuating the cradle-body.

The novel features of the invention will hereinafter appear and finallybe pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts aredesignated by the same reference characters throughout, Figure 1 is anend elevation of the improved cradle, the casing for the actuatingmechanism being shown in vertical transverse section and the cradle-bodybeing positioned in such a manner as to be reciprocated transversely.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the motion-transmitting mechanism, thecradlebody and the cover of the casing being removed and Fig. 3 is adetail view of a portion of said transmitting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, D indicates the casing in which the actuatingmechanism of the improved cradle is housed and upon the top or cover ofwhich the cradle-body m reciprocates. The casing D is composed of twoparts, as shown in Fig. 1a lower part (V, in which a suitable motor A(illustrated as a spring-motor) is contained, and an upper part d, whichhouses the motion-transmitting mechanism and to which legs or othersuitable supports for the casing D are attached, as show The motor Aembodies an upright shaft a, which rotates in step-and-neck bearing inthe bottom of the part or box d wardly into the part d, where it haskeyed thereto in any suitable manner a crank b, at the end of which anupwardly-disposed wristpin 0 is arranged. Said wrist-pin engages ahorizontally-disposed slotted bar (I, which is fixed to a shaft e,extending transversely of the box (1 and axially slidable in bearings ftherein, said box being provided at either side with apertures throughwhich said rod may extend when at either end of its reciprocatingmovement, whichis'eflected by the rotation of the wrist-pin c, as willbe readily understood. In the embodiment illustrated the shaft e isjournaled adjacent one end of the casing 61.

Pivoted at one end, as shown at B, to a pin at the end of the casing (1adjacent the shaft d is a lever i, which extends inwardly through a slott in said casing, as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided intermediatelywith a slot y, engaging an upright pin h, extending between the upperand lower side faces of a boxing g, carried by the shaft 6, adjacent theslotted bar d. The lever 71 is also provided with a slot .2 at its innerend, which engages an upright pin it, extending between two spacedsuperposed parallel plates is, which constitute a coupling, from whichupright rods Z extend upwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. At the upper ends ofthe rods Z, which operate in transverse slots 96 in the cover of thepart (2, are placed cross-pieces 14, provided with terminal rollers n,movable over said top or cover. The uprights Z and crosspieces nconstitute a carriage upon which is supported in any suitable manner thebody m of the cradle.

A handle 0 serves to wind up the motor A and a hand-wheel p to stop thesame when desired.

The operation of the improved cradle is as follows: The motor havingbeen wound by means of the handle 0 and the wheel 19 released the motoris started, transmitting rotary motion to the crank b in the directioninand extends updicated in Fig. 3. Reciprocating motion is thentransmitted to the slidable shaft 6, which passes at either end of itsmovement through the apertures in the part d. The reciprocating motionof said shaft thus serves to rock the lever 01 upon its pivot B throughthe medium of the pin h cooperatingv with the slot y, and the inner endof the lever '5 therefore describes a comparatively long arcuatemovement, carrying with it the coupling member 7c and the carriageconstituted by the cross-pieces u and rollers n. As the body m issecured to said carriage a horizontal reciprocating movement is thusimparted to the same. As shown, the body m is adapted to be reciprocatedtransversely; but it is obvious that by shifting the same onitslrlzarriage it may be reciprocated longitudina y.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a self-movingcradle, a casing, a le ver pivoted adjacent one end of said casing andextending into the same, mechanism in said casing for rocking saidlever, a carriage attached to the inner end of said lever, and acradle-body mounted on said carriage and movable over the top or coverof said casing.

2. In a self-moving cradle, in combination,

a casing, an aXially-slidable shaft therein, a

4. In a self-moving cradle, in combination, an aXially-slidable shaft,means for reciprocating the same, a pivoted lever operable by saidshaft, a carriage attached to the free end of said lever, means forguiding said carriage, and a cradle-body mounted on said carriage.

' 5. In a self-moving cradle, in combination, an aXially-slidable shaftprovided with a pin, a lever pivoted adjacent said shaft and having aslot engaging said pin, a cradle-body attached to the free end of saidlever, and means for supporting and guiding said body.

6. In a self-moving cradle, in combination, a casing, atransversely-disposed axially-slid able shaft mounted in said casingadjacent one end thereof, means for reciprocating said shaft, a leverpivoted adjacent the end of said casing and rockable by said shaft, acarriage carried at the free end of said lever and em bodying rollersmovable on the top or cover of said casing, and a cradle-body mounted onsaid carriage. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRIEDRICH ALROTH.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. SCHILLING, PAUL ARRAs.

